Fastening means for heel cushions



April 29, 1924. 1,492,406

L. TOBE FASTENING MEANS FOR HEEL- CUSHIONS Filed Oct. 21, 1920 M INVENTOR.

M j 7; A TTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 29, 192%.

UNHTEB STATES LOUIS TOBE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FASTENING MEANS FOR HEEL CUSHIO'N$.

Application filed October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,441.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that 1, Louis TUBE, a citizen of the United States. residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Means for Heel Cushions, of which the follmving is a specification.

This invention relates to boots and shoes having a cushioning means at the heels to protect the foot from jar when walking, and the invention has for its object to provide a novel and improved means for attaching the cushion to the heel.

The invention has been designed more particularlyfor use in connection with ladies shoes having high heels. and as many of such heels are made of wood, compressed paper and other material which is very apt to split when nails are driven thereinto, considerable difficulty has been'experieneed heretofore in fitting the same with a bottom lift of rubber or other cushioning material. This diiiicult'y has been entirely eliminated by the device which is the subject matter of the present invention, and by its use the cushion can be readily appliedto the heel without the least danger of splitting the latter, and at the same time, the cushion is very securely attached so that itcannot get loose.

\Vith the object stated in View, the invention consists in a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the cushion: Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof: Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-section showing the cushion attached to the heel, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a device which is embedded in the cushion.

-Referring specifically to the drawing, denotes a cushion of rubber or otner suitable yielding material of the required thickness and shape for attachment tothe bottom of the wooden or other heel 11 of a ladys shoe as shown in Fig. 4. The outer surface of the cushion has a star-sha ed protuberance 12 to prevent slipping. no or more protuberances 12 may be provided according to the size of the cushion 10.

In the cushion 10 is embedded a rigid metal plate 13 having a central aperture 14 and a plurality of radially extending wings 15 from one side of each of which latter projects a spike or spur 16. The plate 13 is embedded in the cushion during the process of its manufacture, and the length of the spikes is such that their pointed. ends project from the inner face of the cushion, or that side which fits against the bottom of the heel 11 when the cushion is ap lied thereto, so that said projecting ends 0 the spikes may be driven into the heel as shown in Fig. 4. There is also screwed into the heel 11 a screw 17 which passes through the central aperture 14 of the plate 13 and has its head in engagement with the plate around the aperture, which latter may be countersunk. In line with the aperture 14 the cushion 10 may be provided with a hole 18 to facilitate the application of the screw 17.

It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the normal shape of the cushion 10 is such that before it is applied to the heel 11, its side which is to come next to the heel is concave as shown at 19, and in line with the plate 13 said side has a shallow depression which is flat. It will therefore be seen that when the cushion is fitted to the heel 11 and drawn thereagainst by the screw 17 and the spikes 16, the concave surface 19 is first drawn inwardly against the flat bottom surface of the heel, and this is followed by the flat surface 20 which is forced toward the heel bottom by the head of the advancing screw 17 bearing against the plate 13. The tension thus produced at the surface 20 tends to draw the surface 19 into still tighter contact with the heel bottom, and the edges of the cushion are thus made to fit tightly to prevent the entrance of water or dirt. The screw 17 securely holds the cushion 10, and the spikes 16 assist and also prevent any tendency of the cushion to turn on the screw.

The s ikes 16 are quite small and they can be riven into the heel 11 without the least danger of splitting the same.

By providing the plate 13 with a plurality .of wings 15, the material of which the cushion 10 is made filling up the spaces between the wings causes the plate to be firmly anchored in the cushion and to be held against turning therein, the spikes 16 also assisting to accomplish this.

The device is very simple and inexpensive and it efiectually serves the purpose for which it has been designed.

I claim:

- 1. A rubber lift for wooden heels, having embedded therein an attaching device consisting of a metal plate having a small apertured central portion and three radial portions arran ed approximately 120 from each other an consisting each of a small circular head integrally connected to the central portion by a narrow neck, and an attaching prong projecting from the center of the head of each of said radial portions and at right angles thereto and of sufi'lcien length to project into the heel.

2. A rubber lift for wooden heels, having embedded therein an attaching device consisting of a metal plate having a central portion provided with an aperture to receive an attaching member, and having a plurality of lobes each connected to said central portion by a narrow neck, and a sharp pointed pin projecting from the center of each of said lobes and of suffieient length to project into the wooden heel, said pins-being sufliciently rigid to penetrate a wooden heel Without clinching therein.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LOUIS TOBE. 

